Space telegraphy.



UNITED Srivrss Patented. August 16, 19x14.

PAfrsNT OFFICE.

JOHN STONE STONE, O F UAIVIBRIIXQE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR WILLIAM \V. S\VAN,'T1{US11G1C1 OF BROOKLUNE, i\'L-1SSAUHUSETTS.

SPACE TELEGRAPHY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 767,992, dated August 16, 1904.

Original application filed November 25, 1963, Serial No. 182,628, Divided and this'application filed January 15, 1904. Serial No. 189,164. (No model), I

To 1117/ 7071/0717, it mmw concern:

Be it known that 1, Joan S'roNn S'roxn, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of l Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Space Telegraphy of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to space or Wireless telegraphy by electromagnetic waves in the form of electroradiant energy, and it relates more particularly to a method of receiving space-telegraph signals by means of electroreccptivc or electric translating devices adapted to utilize in their operation the dissipative energy of the electrical oscillations or oscillatory electric currents developed by electromagnetic: Waves in the circuits in Which such devices are included. Electroreceptive de vices of such character'have long been known for detecting and measuring the energy of electromagnetic Waves, and they are generally known as holometers. In my application Serial No. 119,211 l have described the application of such electroreceptive devices 1 0 selective electric signaling and have therein pointed out that in order to be sensitive and rapidly responsive to changes in thermal condition the line Wires or strips of such bolometers should be of small thermal time constant compared With the thermal time/constant of the bolomct'ers heretofore used and that in order-to be of small thermal time constant the line wires or strips should have small mass- 1'. 0., they should be of short length and small section 'low specific heat, and imperfect heat insulation. 1 have also pointed out that for greater clliciency the bolometcr wi res or strips should beof high-resistance temperature coelficient and of high specific resistance. 1 have also shown that as the oscillatory currents developed in the receiving-- conductors of space-telegraph systems are of small amplitude it is necessary to employ some means whereby the currents developed in the receiving; system by electromagnetic waves may be amplified in order that an appreciable amount of energy may be dissipated in the bolometer Wires or strips without making the latter of excessively high resistance. For amplifying the currents developed in the receiving systcmby electromagnetic waves of r definite predetermined frequency I employ a resonant circuit or a group of resonant circuits attuned to such frequency. The resonant circuits strongly oppose the development therein of currents of frequencies different from that to Which they are tuned, so that by means of such resonant circuits the bolometcr line wires or strips are protected from extraneous electrical forces which might otherwise destroy them. The reason the loo-- lometer strip or wire is preferably made of a material having a high specific resistance is to obtain the smallest possible mass with wires or strips of a given resistance. Although the specilic resistance of the material of which the wire or strip is preferably constructed should be high, the actual resistance of the wire or strip itself should be low, so as not to mask the resonant rise of current in the resonant circuit in which the wire or strip is included. as l have pointed out in my prior patents, in which other forms of receivers or \vavedetectors are employed and in which i have shown that the selectivity of a resonant circuit varies inversely as the resistance of such circuit and is, in fact, equal to J i By employing a resonant circuit it is possible to use bolometcr wires or strips of much larger mass than it would otherwise be possible to use in order to eliect the dissipation a given amount of energy in said wires or strips. it is not possible to lay down any specific rule concerning the mass or gconmti'ic constants of the bolometer wire or strip as such mass must he (.letcrmincd by the amount of energy radiated in the form of elcctromagncl' war and by the distance over which transmis. ion is to take place, and as it must also be determined in a way by the locality in which the receivingstation is placed if the rec-oiring-station is placed in a locality free from electromagnetic disturbances the wire orstrip may be of smaller mass than if it be placed in a locality subject to frequent and violent electrical disturbances. By having regard to the elec trical conditionssurrounding the proposed receiving-stationin designing the bolometer wire or strip the safety of the. latter maybe 1 better insured, although it follows in a genera'l way that more energy must be employed to transmit signals over a given distance when the bolometer wire or strip is required by the electrical characteristics of the locus of lthe receiving-station to he of larger mass than the wire or strip is made of the minimum ossible mass and therefore of the maximum sensitiveness. I Dr. VVollaston has described a method for producing wire of excessively small diameter, which method consists in incasing afine latinum wire in silver, reducing the conipos- '1te wire so formed, and then dissolving away the silver casing with warm nitrous acid; In this way wire of diameteras small as one fiftythousandthsof an inch was-produced, as fully ,St forth in the jfmc clo wrliu Britannia? in 2.5 an article entitled Wire, to which all those j wishing to practice my invention are referred iorfurther details concerning the manufacture of wire suitable for use in the bolorneter described herein, although such wire has long been in commercial use and may be obtained, g and, in fact, is usually obtained, before the sil-- ver casingthas been" removed. Suclrwire so L, produced may be employed in the system herein described, and I also recommend the employment of a bolometerstrip produced as follows: A sheet of gold-leaf which may be one micron in thickness or greater, is cast in a block of paraflin and sliced by a microtomc into'st'rips of any desired width, which may be as small as one micron in width after the manner in which stained sections well known in microscopic biology are produced. *In lieu of the gold-leaf of commerce 1 may deposit gold electrolytically on a conducting backing, dissolve away the backing, and treat the resulting gold-leaf above explained. The strips of go]dleaf produced by either process or a-short length of platinum wire produced by the ollaston process may be mounted for use in a bolon'ieter in the following manner, so that a .very small length of the strip or wire is operative as a source of resistance in the resonant circuit: ()n a perfectly plane glass plate deposit a silver lihn in the manner now well known, and upon this lihn of silver electrolytically deposit a much thicker iilzn of some softer metal, as gold; copper, &c. The thickness of this second iilm is several times the thickness of the bolometer wire or strip. The surface so produced may be polished or burnished. Across the surface so produced a line should be I scratched by an cxtremoi'yhue-edged engravsensitive galvanometer.

'signahindicating device.

ing instrument, (.lividing the surface intotwo 5 parts electrically insulated from one another by the line so scratched, as shown by connecting the two surfaces to a battery and a highly- Across this scratch the bolometer wire or strip should be laid, so as to form an electrical connection betweenthe two separated metal films, when a slightly [convex surface of glass is pressed down on said strip or surface. The bolometer as now mounted is ready for use, the connections being made-with the two metallic surfaces as terminals. The device is preferably maintained in an atmosphere of hydrogen or nitrogen or other gas which will not support combustion of the material of the holometer strip or wire, said gas being preferably maintained at as low a temperature as practicable. By so maintaining the gas at such low temperature I can control a greater amount of current by a given change of resistance in the bolometer strip or wire, and so have a greater amount of energy available for the operation of the In order to maintain the balance of the VVheatstone bridge or induction-balancein which the bolometer is included, itis preferredto maintain this low temperature constant.

The drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification illustrate several forms of apparatus whereby the herein-described method may be conveniently carried out. This apparatus, however, forms no part of this invention, having been claimed in my a mlication, Serial No. 182,628, filed Novem ber 25, 1903. I

in the drawings, Figures 1,2, and 3 illus tratc in diagram arrangements of circuits and apparatus at a space-telegraph receiving-station. Fig. L is a plan view of the bolometcr with the upper slightly convex glass plate removed. Fig. 5 is a section taken on lines 5 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 671s a section taken on lines ('5 6 of Fig. 4.

V isan elevated conductor. M M aretransformers, preferably step down transformers. CU are condensers. LL are inductances. L" L are choking-coils. L isaniinpedance. 1' l constitute the primary and I the secondary windin, ;s oi' the induction -hal2 nce. T is a telephone or other signal-indicating device. B is a bolometer consisting of four wires or strips 1, i2, and 4c of equal resistance. B is a bolometer consisting of a single wire or strip. A is a source of rapidlyvarying current, which may consist of an electricaiiy-actuatcd tuning-fork carrying permanent magnets, the movement of which tuning-fork crcatesa rapidly-varying elcctromotive force in amassociated circuit.

Referring to Figs. 4:, 5, and 6, g represents a perfectly plane glass plate, upon which a layer of silver s is electrolyticallydeposited, and 0 represents a somewhat thicker layer of softer metal, such as gold or copper, deposited on said layer of silver, it represents the scratch produced. by a very fine cdged engraving instrunient across the aforesaid films. 1 rep resents the bolometer strip or wire connecting the two sections of the deposited metallic films. 9' represents the slightly convex plate -5 of glass placed above the bolometerwire or strip 1, whereby the latter is caused to sink into the softmetal film c in order tomake perfeet electrical Contact therewith. 11 2 are the leadsconnectecl to the upper films 6:, whereby the bolorneter maybe included in the resonant circuit. It is preferred to balance the induction-balance in which the bolomete r is included by including in one arm thereof a resistance R, equal to the resistance of the bolometcr B or B, included inthe other arm of said balance, as indicated in dotted lines in Figs. 1, E2, and 3, although, as indicated, a boloinctcr identical with that in the resonant circuit may be used to balance the induction-balance. It is preferred to employ an impedance L' in the circuit of the source A.

The operation of the system is as follows: Electrical oscillations developed in the ele- Vated conductor V by electromagnetic signal- Waves the energy of which is to be received are conveyed to the closed resonant circuit C L L B, C IV[ L l3, or Id L In in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, respectively. said resonant circuits operating to greatly increase the amplitude 0 of the oscillations, I have pointed outin my prior patents. in Figs. land 2 the electrical oscillations so amplified increase the tcmpcr ature and therefore the resistance of the holometer wires or strips, and this increase of resistance imbalances the ind uction-balaucc and efiects the indication of a signal in the telephone or other signal-indicatingdevice T. in Fig. 3 the electrical oscillations or currents developed in the resonant circuit C l\I L M are translated to the resonant circuit (1 ML B, attuned to the same frequency as thecir cuit U M L M, in which said currents operetc to increase the resistance of the bolomctcr strip or Wii B with the result that an indication is produced in the device T due to the unbalancing of the inductioirhalance. 1n the system shown in Fig. 2 tl oscillationsdcvelopcl by electron'iagnet waves in the elevated conductor V are inductively 5o reproduced at increased current in the reso' nant circuit C M L B by incans of the stepdown transformer M, and in the system shown in Fig, i-l the electrical oscillations inductively reproduced at increased current in the resonant circuit C M L M, by means of the stepdown transformer M are ind uctivcly reproduced at iill iurtlnt-r increased current in the Second resonant circuit (1 M L B by means .mfthc second stop-down transformer N1. .It will be observed that the arrangcmentol." the bolometer strips or wires in Figs. 1 and 22 is such as to prevent the electric oscillations developed in the resonant circuits from -.taking any path other than through the boloini5 etcr strips, because said strips constitute a balic electrical l J I l l i I l l l i l l l l l anccd VVh'catstono bridge, at the cquipotential points of which the connections to the induction-balance are made.

In Fig. 3, which shows another embodiment of my invention in which the wire or strip is employed, some means must be used to pre vent the shuntingof the electrical oscillations developed in the circuit W L B C around the bolomcter wire or strip B by way of the induction-balance. For this purpose 1 cmploy specially-designed inductance-coils L" L" placed in each of the arms of the induction-balance. These inductance or choking coils are wound so as to have the greatest possible inductance with the least possible electrostatic capacity. For this purpose the windings 0t said coils are separated and cores otlinely-divided sof'tiron ofthc best magnetic quality, preferably cast in a dielectric matrix, are used. Hcrctot'ore in designing chokingcoils a number of turns of line insulated wire have been wound closely together upon an iron core, so that although such coil has a certain amount of inductance it usually behaves more like a condenser than like a coil having fixed re stance and ind uctaucc and no capacity, For this reason excessive displacementcurrents are developed between the windings of such coils and a large portion of the on ergy of the high-frequency electrical oscillations is shunted around the receiver by way of'said choking-coil instead of being confined to the circuit containing the receiver. an inductance or choking coil designed as hereinbct'orc set forth the energy of the electrical oscillations in the resonant circuit containing the bolorneter B is practically entirely confined to said resonant circuit, and that portion of this energy which is shunted around said bolometer by way of the l]](lllUlHnCO-lHLlancc is practically rendered 1H7. Such a choking-coil is notlilnitcd in s use to the system herein described, but may be cllkwctivcly cmploycd wherever a choking-coil is required as, for example, between a coherer and its local circuit.

.l claim 1 The iuethod oi rccci ving space-ti*legraph signals which cons sts in absorbing the energy of electromagnetic signal-waves in an elevated conductor, thereby creating electrical oscillations in said elevated conductor, causing said electrical oscillations to inductively reproduce similar oscillations in a resonant circuit, attuned to the frequency of the waves the energy of which is to be received, amplifying the elect means of said resonant circuit, converting the energy of the said amplified electrical oscillations into thermal energy, and thereby controlling a signal-indicating device in accordance with the signals transmitted.

2. The method of receiving space-telegraph signals which CQLDSlStS in surrounding an electroreceptive device, adapted to utilize in its rical oscillations soreproduced by Corrections in Letters Patent Noi 767,992-

operation the dissipative energy of the electrical oscillations developed by, electromagnetic waves in the circuit in which it is included, by an atmosphere of inert gas util- 5 izing the dissipative energy of the electrical oscillations created by electromagneticsignalwaves to vary the thermal condition of said electroreceptive device, andthereby controh linga signalindicating device in accordance 0 with the signals transmitted,

3. The method of receiving space-tel egraph signals which consists in surrounding a bolorneter fine wire or strip by an atmosphere of inert gas, utilizing the dissipative energy of 5 the electrical oscillations created by electromagnetic signal-waves to vary the thermal condition of said fine wire or strip, and thereby controlling a signal-indicating device in ac-- eordance with the signals transmitted.

O 4. The method of receivingspace-telegraph signals which rsonsis s in maintaining an electroreceptive d: vicefadapted to utilize in its operation the dissipative energy of the electrical oscillations developed by electromag- 5 netic waves in the circuit in which it is included, at a low temperature, utilizing the dissipative energy'of the electrical oscillations created by electromagnetic signal-waves to vary the thermal condition of said electrore- 0 ceptive device, and thereby controlling a signal-indicating device in accordance with the signals transmitted. I

5. The method of receiving space-telegraph signals which consists in maintaining a bolom- 5 eter fine wire or strip at a low temperature,

utilizing the dissipative energy of the electrical oscillations created by electromagnetic signal-waves to vary the thermal condition of said fine wire or strip, and thereby controlling O a signal-indicating device in accordance with the signals transmitted.

6. The method of receiving space-telegraph signals which consists in absorbing the energy [SEAL.]

of electromagnetic signahwaves in an elevated conductor, thereby creating electrical oscillations in said elevated conductor; causing said electrical oscillations to inducti F3 eproduce' similar oscillations at increased current in a resonant circuit, attuned to th" equency oi the waves the energy of which is o be receivech amplifying said elc' rical oscillations so reproduced by means of said resonant circuit converting the energy of said amplified oscillations into thermal energy and thereby controlling a signal-indicating device in accordance with the signals transmitted.

7. The method of receiving space-telegraph signals which consists in absorbing the energy of electromagnetic signal-waves in an elevated. conductor, thereby creating electrical oscillations in said elevated conductor, causing said electrical oscillations to inductively reproduce similar oscillations at increased current in a resonant circuit, attuned to the frequency or the Waves the energy of which is to be received, amplifying said electrical oscillations so reproduced hy means of said resonant circuit, causing the electrical oscillations so amplified to inductively reproduce similar oscillations at still further increased current in a second resonant circuit, likewise attuned to the frequency of the Waves the energy of which is to be received, amplifying said electrical oscillations so reproduced by means of said sec ond resonant circuit, converting the energy of said amplified oscillations into thermal energy and thereby controlling a signal-indicating device in accordance with the signals transmitted.

In testimony whereof I: have hereunto subscribed my name this 15th day of January,

JOHN STONE S'lilNlC. W itnesses:

HUGH M. STERLING,

ARTHUR L. BRYANT It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 767,992, granted August 16, 1904, upon the application of John Stone Stone, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, for an improvement in Space 'lelegraphy. an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction, as follows: On page line 48, the word. electromagnet should read electromagnetic; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction thereinthat the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and scaled this 11th day ofJulyl D.. 19(l5.

i. ALLEN,

Commissioner of Patents.

Corrections in Letters Patent Noi 767,992-

operation the dissipative energy of the electrical oscillations developed by, electromagnetic waves in the circuit in which it is included, by an atmosphere of inert gas util- 5 izing the dissipative energy of the electrical oscillations created by electromagneticsignalwaves to vary the thermal condition of said electroreceptive device, andthereby controh linga signalindicating device in accordance 0 with the signals transmitted,

3. The method of receiving space-tel egraph signals which consists in surrounding a bolorneter fine wire or strip by an atmosphere of inert gas, utilizing the dissipative energy of 5 the electrical oscillations created by electromagnetic signal-waves to vary the thermal condition of said fine wire or strip, and thereby controlling a signal-indicating device in ac-- eordance with the signals transmitted.

O 4. The method of receivingspace-telegraph signals which rsonsis s in maintaining an electroreceptive d: vicefadapted to utilize in its operation the dissipative energy of the electrical oscillations developed by electromag- 5 netic waves in the circuit in which it is included, at a low temperature, utilizing the dissipative energy'of the electrical oscillations created by electromagnetic signal-waves to vary the thermal condition of said electrore- 0 ceptive device, and thereby controlling a signal-indicating device in accordance with the signals transmitted. I

5. The method of receiving space-telegraph signals which consists in maintaining a bolom- 5 eter fine wire or strip at a low temperature,

utilizing the dissipative energy of the electrical oscillations created by electromagnetic signal-waves to vary the thermal condition of said fine wire or strip, and thereby controlling O a signal-indicating device in accordance with the signals transmitted.

6. The method of receiving space-telegraph signals which consists in absorbing the energy [SEAL.]

of electromagnetic signahwaves in an elevated conductor, thereby creating electrical oscillations in said elevated conductor; causing said electrical oscillations to inducti F3 eproduce' similar oscillations at increased current in a resonant circuit, attuned to th" equency oi the waves the energy of which is o be receivech amplifying said elc' rical oscillations so reproduced by means of said resonant circuit converting the energy of said amplified oscillations into thermal energy and thereby controlling a signal-indicating device in accordance with the signals transmitted.

7. The method of receiving space-telegraph signals which consists in absorbing the energy of electromagnetic signal-waves in an elevated. conductor, thereby creating electrical oscillations in said elevated conductor, causing said electrical oscillations to inductively reproduce similar oscillations at increased current in a resonant circuit, attuned to the frequency or the Waves the energy of which is to be received, amplifying said electrical oscillations so reproduced hy means of said resonant circuit, causing the electrical oscillations so amplified to inductively reproduce similar oscillations at still further increased current in a second resonant circuit, likewise attuned to the frequency of the Waves the energy of which is to be received, amplifying said electrical oscillations so reproduced by means of said sec ond resonant circuit, converting the energy of said amplified oscillations into thermal energy and thereby controlling a signal-indicating device in accordance with the signals transmitted.

In testimony whereof I: have hereunto subscribed my name this 15th day of January,

JOHN STONE S'lilNlC. W itnesses:

HUGH M. STERLING,

ARTHUR L. BRYANT It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 767,992, granted August 16, 1904, upon the application of John Stone Stone, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, for an improvement in Space 'lelegraphy. an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction, as follows: On page line 48, the word. electromagnet should read electromagnetic; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction thereinthat the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and scaled this 11th day ofJulyl D.. 19(l5.

i. ALLEN,

Commissioner of Patents.

Corrections in Letters Patent" Not 1767,992-

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 767,992, granted August 16, 1904, upon the application of John Stone Stone, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, for an improvement in Space 'lelegraphyfl an error appears in the printed specification reqoiring eorrectioo, as follows: On page 3, line 48, the word electromegnet should read electromagnetic; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with 111:8 correction therein that the same may 'eonform to the record of the case in the Patent Oflice.

Signed and sealed this 11th day of July. A. D.. 1965.

[SEAL] F. l. ALLEN,

Commissioner of Pate-Mtg. 

